Monthly Archives: February 2013

Tonight, there’s going to be an open house at Carleton University to talk about proposed changes to Bronson Ave. If you can’t come, or you want it explained in a different way, look at the diagrams below.

Here’s some details that I expect to see, based on my participation at a few related advisory committee meetings. The response to the situation from the city is remarkable. Read about it at my last post.

Here’s the situation for northbound bicycle traffic today:

This is the routing that people use today. This is in no way a recommendation to do this.

This is dangerous. The facilities encourage bad behaviour.

The primary problem to deal with is how to separate cyclists from fast motor vehicles. Here’s a summary of the changes proposed:

(This is part of a series on articles on Bronson. Friday, read about how the posted speed limits are wrong.)

They’ve done a U-turn. The city identified problems on Bronson in 2006 and ignored most of the recommendations in an unreleased report (until now). The changes didn’t do anything to deal with problems like speed. But their response after a recent tragedy is remarkable.

The death of cyclist Krista Johnson in October, 2012 drew attention to the traffic problems on Bronson between the Rideau River and Holmwood. Most of it pertains to speed, but some is also the lack of facilities for cyclists.

In relatively short order, with Councillor Chernushenko’s help, the city put together a group of city engineers, planners and affected community groups (I sit on both the GCA-TC and the board of Citizens for Safe Cycling). This is the only time I’ve been invited to a committee formed as a result of a fatality. The response of the city was phenomenal. Finally, we can see the city doing something progressive which prioritizes sustainable transportation.

In our second meeting a couple of weeks ago we were shown some ideas of what the city is thinking. I don’t feel right in sharing their draft diagrams, but here’s a taste:

cross-rides across Bronson at Brewer Way

creation of a bi-directional path on the west side of Bronson

signalled crossing across Bronson for cyclists and pedestrians, just south of the Canal bridge

removal of turning lanes to make space for separated bike lanes over the bridge

This shows what a cross ride might look like, where the intersection of the pedestrian path from Carleton crosses Bronson to meet up with Brewer Way.

Extend the island between the S-E,W and E,W-N ramps at Colonel By Drive to terminate the curb lane.

No

Install “Yield to pedestrians” signs at ramps

Yes

Pavement friction

Increase pavement friction along the corridor

Yes, installed in June 2006

The things I think would have really made a difference are the gateway features, narrowing lanes and landscaping. Instead, they installed a gutter and added a turning lane.

It is sad.

About the report

The report has never been put online, but it is a public document. A staff member scanned the document in and gave it to me and I am posting it here.

It’s too bad that more people didn’t have access to the report. Perhaps there would have been more information when the issue came up at council in May, 2009. The engineers seem to have just ignored most of the report and focused on car-oriented changes.